Application of Surface wave methods for seismic site characterization

Surface-wave dispersion analysis is widely used in geophysics to infer a shear wave velocity model of the subsoil for a wide variety of applications. A shear-wave velocity model is obtained from the solution of an inverse problem based on the surface wave dispersive propagation in vertically heterogeneous media. The analysis can be based either on active source measurements or on seismic noise recordings. This paper discusses the most typical choices for collection and interpretation of experimental data, providing a state of the art on the different steps involved in surface wave surveys. In particular, the different strategies for processing experimental data and to solve the inverse problem are presented, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Also, some issues related to the characteristics of passive surface wave data and their use in H/V spectral ratio technique are discussed as additional information to be used independently or in conjunction with dispersion analysis. Finally, some recommendations for the use of surface wave methods are presented, while also outlining future trends in the research of this topic

Acquisition and Inversion of Dispersive Seismic Waves in Shallow Marine Environments

Two types of dispersive seismic waves have been acquired in different geological settings to investigate the potential to reveal the elastic parameters of the shallow marine subsurface. Scholte waves as well as acoustic guided waves are excited by a near-surface towed airgun, and recorded using two acquisition methods: (1) the towed-acquisition system using a hydrophone streamer towed close to the sea floor, and (2) the stationary-receiver method using Ocean-Bottom Seismometers and/or Hydrophones (OBS/OBH). Our diverse data sets reveal that the spatial sampling of the wavefield required to avoid aliasing may vary significantly for different geological settings. Scholte waves are characterised by a few distinct modes observed at low frequencies and low phase velocities. Their dispersion is mainly controlled by the depth profile of the shear-wave velocity. Acoustic guided waves show profound amplitude variations of numerous higher modes over a broad frequency range. These are sensitive to shear-wave velocity, but more sensitive to compressional-wave velocity than Scholte waves are. To avoid the identification of distinct modes we infer 1-D models of elastic parameters of the subsurface from the inversion of the full wavefield spectra of acoustic guided waves. In the Siberian Laptev Sea we infer the presence of a soft sediment layer (8-10 m) with a well resolved strong S-velocity gradient (150-450 m/s). In the Baltic Sea a low P-velocity layer with a strong vertical gradient (1250-1440 m/s) corresponding to a post-glacial gassy mud layer could be resolved, which agrees well with the sediment stratigraphy derived from a gravity core